


We Could Call it Even

by likeromeoandjuliet



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: And in love, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Go listen to Tis the Damn Season, Post-Season 4 shitshow, Sort Of, The Seven Years After, They’re DUMB, This started because of Taylor Swift, stream evermore bitches, we go through every year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:36:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28927425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeromeoandjuliet/pseuds/likeromeoandjuliet
Summary: In the end, they don’t break up because of Archie. They do, but not exactly. Those last few weeks are hazy. Veronica’s slap on her cheek aches after all so many months. And the pain in Jughead’s eyes when she told him what happened aches even more. The way he gripped his chest and then asked her if she was still confused, if there was still any part of her that thought of Archie. She had told him the truth. There wasn’t. It was clearer than ever what she actually wanted, as she sobbed, on the bed, trying to get the words out. Her palms bloody. It had been ugly and heart shattering to sit there in agony. And Jughead had been so good. He was always so good to her, hadn’t even considered walking out, even with his heart broken. He’d forgiven her. And she had sobbed in his arms, he couldn’t even bear to see her in such pain.Forgiveness hadn’t been the point. None of that mattered, because as much as they tried to have some semblance of normalcy, of what they were, it wasn’t enough.OrWhat happens in each of the seven years after they break up.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 34
Kudos: 120





	We Could Call it Even

** 1 year after **

It’s the year after they break up that it happens. Betty’s not really sure what the hell she’s doing when she gets on a train to Riverdale, but it’s the holidays and Alice had all but demanded it, the year before hadn’t boded well for them, a snowstorm had prevented her from going and she’d been stuck at Yale.

Betty was truthfully expecting Jughead to refuse to go when he heard she was coming, so she agreed to stay in her childhood bedroom. Even with all the pain inside the pink floral walls, there’s still a quiet comforting nature that remains untouched by her damning hand. She’ll likely never say it aloud but sometimes she finds that she retrieves back to happier times, to warmer times and memories just to feel something, anything that isn’t the lacerating pain inside her.

If she’s truly honest, she doesn’t know who this shell of a person living in her body is. Their ending is so stupidly messy, and she’d devoted such a big part of herself to them, that now, without him, it’s a strange way to live. To be without him but never having him gone, always lingering in the deepest, darkest parts of her soul. So much of who she is tied to him and she hasn’t gotten the courage to reinvent herself, in fear of losing him completely. Of losing the safe landing that is them.

In the end, they don’t break up because of Archie. They do, but not exactly. Those last few weeks are hazy. Veronica’s slap on her cheek aches after all so many months. And the pain in Jughead’s eyes when she told him what happened aches even more. The way he gripped his chest and then asked her if she was still confused, if there was still any part of her that thought of Archie. She had told him the truth. There wasn’t. It was clearer than ever what she actually wanted, as she sobbed, on the bed, trying to get the words out. Her palms bloody. It had been ugly and heart shattering to sit there in agony. And Jughead had been so good. He was always so good to her, hadn’t even considered walking out, even with his heart broken. He’d forgiven her. And she had sobbed in his arms, he couldn’t even bear to see her in such pain.

Forgiveness hadn’t been the point. None of that mattered, because as much as they tried to have some semblance of normalcy, of what they were, it wasn’t enough. In the middle of solving a case, trying to understand it all and then finding themselves, once the distractions were gone, in the same bed, sleeping away from each other. Having breakfast together but never really there. Loving each other but with the pain her actions brought into them. That maybe they were just as fickle as everything else.

Betty broke down while they were having sex. Their last time. If all she wanted was to keep him, this suffocating pain of slowly losing him is worse. Sometimes she selfishly wishes he’d been angry, that he hadn’t been as kind, as trusting. Jughead wasn’t a fool but he loved her so deeply, she fears it may have blinded him. A blind man and a desperate woman. It wouldn’t go that far, not like that. So, they sat together, on their bed and agreed they couldn’t tear each other out from the inside, that maybe they did need time. They’d have the space, anyway and maybe, in the long term, long distance while so many things remained unresolved, would just destroy them completely. And they couldn’t tarnish what they were any further, not while there was some good left.

But Betty’s in Riverdale. And she hasn’t seen him for a year and she’s not expecting his face to greet her when she walks into the Smith/Jones household. It’s wicked how warm and familiar it all feels. The fireplace burning, the cookies on the table, the Christmas decorations, all different from the ones she grew up with but somehow closer to a home than she remembers feeling.

And then there’s him and Jellybean, they’re bickering about something she’s sure Jellybean will fill her in on later. They’ve stayed in touch, even if her brother as a topic is rare, Betty finds that Jellybean brings her a sort of comfort she recognized in Jughead, a brash, unfiltered thought spitter. It’s not as though they knew each other for long but the times spent in the Cooper/Smith/Jones house, living together, brought them closer, plus the few traumatic experiences along the way they all endured. As Jelly grew into her own, sometimes unbelievably fast to her liking, Betty couldn’t help but usher in that comfort, the familiarity of her. And the now teenager often sought out advice and it always made her proud to be that for Jellybean.

Jughead stares at her with an unreadable expression as she sets her bags down, her mother chatting animatedly, exited to have her home.

“Betty!” Jellybean stands up with a grin and makes her way over to her, wrapping her up in hug.

“Hey, Jelly.” Betty lets out a soft laugh, squeezing her against her body. Jughead stands a moment later, gulping down a sip of his coke and nods her way with a small smile. He’s uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck and fidgeting, some things don’t change and she understands that. Things are different, but she still loves him and she knows he loves her too. “Jug.”

“Betty.” He nods. Betty ignores the look Alice and Jellybean give each other and moves on to greet FP, who is as warm as Jellybean when he smiles at her.

It’s not as awkward as she thought it’d be, really. Jughead has never been angry with her and in the end, it wasn’t all about Archie, it was also about how Riverdale had set them on a path they couldn’t see clearly. Everything that had happened had hardened them, had altered who they were and how they viewed the world. All of that, plus the end of high school, the distance they’d be going through, maybe that had scared them. Maybe they did need time. To grow on their own. They still do.

In the end, they can do this, they can sit in the same living room, listening to Jellybean fill them in on everything that had happened while they were away. They can sit and be a part of their mismatched family, even with every broken piece.

But still, it’s Jughead, in front of her, the one she loves most in the world and she doesn’t think it’ll ever change, wholeheartedly. There’s a myriad of complexities to her feelings when it comes to him. A deep love and gratitude for all that he’d given her, how safe he made her feel amidst all the chaos, how much they had taught each other. But none of it comes alone. She feels immense guilt, overwhelming most time in comparison. It was on her, she’d fucked up the one thing she loves most. And then there was the part of them that remained unsolved. She regrets not fighting for them, more than she did, for giving into the fear of destroying what they were to each other that she didn’t fight for what they could become. They’d talked, they’d communicated, but perhaps not enough, perhaps there were parts of themselves they still feared would scare the other away. 

Then, there’s a part of her that truly believes they need time. They need this, they need to live without each other. And she needs the hope that maybe someday they can find themselves willing to give this another shot. 

Jughead is in the kitchen when she comes down to get something to eat in the middle of the night. He’s drinking tea, she hopes. Drinking coffee in the middle of the night isn’t a great idea but she reckons Jughead would have no trouble in doing so. But still, there’s a part of her that worries for his sleep schedule and judging by the dark circles under his eyes, it’s probably terrible. Even then, it’s college. She knows exactly the shitshow that it is. 

“Tell me that’s tea and not coffee.” She smiles softly, when she walks into the kitchen. 

He looks up, with a small smile of his own. “It’s tea, I promise. One of your mother’s weird concoctions, I think.”

“God, wouldn’t drink that. I’ve always thought they’re probably drugs.” 

“Well, wouldn’t be the worst thing.” Jughead shrugs. “Couldn’t sleep?” 

“Yeah...too much going on.” She confesses. She had promised herself that she’d be honest with him, ever since she wasn’t when Archie happened. Better to keep it all out in the open. 

“How are you? College? Everything?” 

“I’m good...mostly. College is amazing, really, I’m doing good there. The rest is...well...complicated.” She sighs softly, stepping further into the kitchen and walking towards the fridge, beside him. She battles between telling him and not telling him but then says to hell with it and turns to him, the refrigerator light on her face as she looks at him. “It’s hard being without you. I was too used to having you and now it’s a little like having a missing limb.” 

His face softens and he breathes out softly. “I know.” He nods. “I’m glad we can say that to each other.” 

“Can we, Jug? Cause I’m kind of regretting telling you that just now.” She huffs out a soft laugh. 

“Betts...” He tilts his head. “I know conflict is what makes a story interesting, but it’s a lot harder to feel anything but gratitude for what we did for each other, what we lived through together. All the good outweighs the bad and although I don’t think I’m ready for anything-“

“Please stop.” She sighs. 

“Let me, Please.” 

“No, Jug. Stop being so goddamn nice to me, I really don’t deserve it after what I did to you and I get it, I feel the same way, okay? Being near you kind of makes me crazy and it makes me feel the same way I did when I was sixteen and it’s been a year, just a year without you and I-“ 

Jughead kisses her, quite passionately, pushing her against the counter. It’s hard to pull away, to push him away when he’s being like this. She knows this Jughead, knows what it feels like to have him want her. She understands, there’s always some sort gravity they feel towards each other but this can’t happen. 

It’s the footsteps on the stairs that pull them apart and they jump away from each other as Jellybean appears in the doorway. 

“Oh, you’re both awake!” Jellybean smirks and Betty’s cheek turn a shade of pink not deemed normal and she pathetically grabs a yogurt and turns to leave. 

“Right, just needed- something...to eat. Goodnight.” She bolts out of the kitchen as quick as she can. 

Betty fears being near each other makes them both do irrational things and she fears she can’t afford the gravitational pull he has on her. Having him, the illusion of him is too much, it overwhelms her senses beyond reason. It’s not right. 

It’s later, she steps outside with her newfound friend, the latest help in aiding her anxiety, thank god her roommate had introduced her to the joys of weed. It does help quarrel doubts for a few moments, helps her sleep too. And her past self would be a little horrified that she’d smoke weed but she hasn’t been her for long. 

Jughead finds her. 

“When did you start you smoking?” She startles, snapping her head towards him. 

“It’s a joint. I do it occasionally.” Betty shrugs. 

He nods his head. “Think you can share?” She hands him the joint and he brings it to his lips, before passing it back to her. “You hiding out here?” Jughead questions. 

“Something like that.” She murmurs, puffing out smoke from her lips. His gaze stays on her. “Helps with anxiety, so yeah...” 

“College does that.” Jughead nods, smiling softly. “What’s gotten you anxious today?” 

“You.” 

He gulps, looking down at his hands. “I, can see that....right...And I can relate.” 

“You give yourself anxiety?” Betty smirks. 

He laughs. “As matter of fact, yes. Isn’t that the whole point of anxiety?” 

“You’re right.” 

“But I did mean you. We’re just traveling through uncharted territory here.” 

“You shouldn’t have kissed me.” She says quietly. 

“I couldn’t help myself. When I see you, I just...” 

“Please don’t. It just makes me want to kiss you again and I don’t know if I can bear it.” Betty sighs and Jughead closes his eyes, leaning against the railing, the cold breeze on his face, hoping to have some sort of clarity. 

“You’re right.” He tells her quietly. “Neither of us are ready to get back into this, not enough time has passed.” 

“Good. It’s nice to know we’re on the same page.” 

“It doesn’t mean we have to cut each other off, though, does it? Come Monday, I’ll be in Iowa and you’ll be at Yale. And whatever happens, happens, but maybe we could just...be. I don’t know...we can drive around town and talk or not. We could just be us for the weekend.” 

“That sounds like awful idea.” 

“Does it? We both know where it’s going.” 

“Doesn’t mean it won’t fuck with my head for the rest of the year.” 

“I think we’ve established that neither of us have really stopped loving the other.” He murmurs, stepping closer as she turns to him, As his hand touched her waist, her breath hitches. “So if it’s all the same to you...” 

“It’s easier to keep you out when you’re not with me.” She breathes out. Jughead places his forehead on hers. “Jesus, Jug...this is a little too much. You know me.”

“It’s just the holidays and then we can, maybe we can talk on the phone sometimes? You’re the only one that really knows me, Betty. It’s hard to think without you.” 

“We need to learn how to do that, maybe cutting each other off completely wasn’t the best idea but...we need the space.” 

He pulls away with a sigh. “Why do I feel like I’m the one asking for forgiveness?” 

“You’re being unfair.” She shakes her head. “You know I’m right.” 

“I don’t know...there’s really no fucking handbook on this, is there? Should I go out there and punch Archie? Do I cuss you out? Cause I really don’t feel the need to. After all the shit we’ve been through, maybe we can give ourselves a break. No promises, no commitment, just let ourselves have this.” 

“The holidays? That’s what you think we should have?” 

“Tis’ the damn season.” 

She laughs softly, shaking her head, because really, his smile does throw her off, through all the pain. “You’re ridiculous.” 

Their first Christmas post their dramatic breakup is also the first one they find themselves together again, if only for the holidays. And Betty allows herself to get lost in that illusion. 

•

** 2 Years After **

Jughead runs into Betty at the train station in Riverdale, when he steps onto the platform after an excruciating train ride. Her hair isn’t in a ponytail and she seems to be a little more well rested than the last time he’d seen her which had been on FaceTime, on her birthday. They’d talked for hours, filling each other in on life and then Jughead bouncing his new story off of her. They’d been texting ever since the previous Christmas and it hadn’t completely consumed him, it brought comfort, that after all this time, they could still bring clarity to each other. They’d spent a few days together in the summer, never seeming able to let go of each other. 

It’s a strange time in their relationship. When they talk, it feels as though no time has passed, as though they’re still the same to each other, but it slips through, that illusion, at times and they end up deflecting, not really talking about what’s keeping them apart. It’s open ended, an endless spiral of a virtual connection and the memories of Christmas past and summer escapades. 

“You are a sight for sore eyes.” 

Betty looks up from her phone and her face light ups. “Will you stop overusing that way of greeting me? It works just as bad in real life as it does on FaceTime.” 

He laughs. “Hi.” 

“Merry Christmas.” She says, with a smile.

“Merry Crisis, Betts.” He opens his arms and hugs her tightly. 

They end up calling Jellybean to pick them up. Jellybean who had now learned to drive and it drove him absolutely insane that she wasn’t the same little girl he used to take care of. He knows Betty and JB keep in touch and he’s glad they do. They’re very much alike in their stubbornness and he knows Betty is a good influence on Jellybean, that she gives good advice, never wavering. One way or the other having Betty on your corner is always a plus. Betty would do anything for the people she loves. He knows that. 

“This doesn’t really make much sense, does it?” Betty questions, later, they’re in the basement, smoking a joint together. 

“You’re gonna have to be little more specific, Betts.” 

“Us.” She murmurs. “This all consuming thing we used be for each other. That was real. Now, it’s...I don’t know what it is. It fucks with my head, you know? Being honest with you, all of this,” She gestures vaguely at them, her head on his lap, sprawled out on the couch. “It’s strange.” 

“Do you want me to go back up and we can-“

“No.” She shakes her head. “What I mean is that it’s hard for us to stop being us, obviously. But it’s always different versions lately. Either we fuck on the holidays or we call each other when we have nightmares and on birthdays. It’s like, for the life of me, I can’t drop you. Even when we said we’d stop talking in July, after a week of being together, you still called and I couldn’t bring myself to decline.” 

“I say we can be whatever the fuck we decide to be. No matter what would be considered normal behavior after all that happened.” 

“Is it healthy? This?” 

“We set the limits, Betty. And if it feels bad for you then I’ll stay away. Just say the word.” His tone changes slightly. Sometimes he fears it. That they’re breaking themselves just for the relief of having moments together or phone calls or whatever they decide in the moment. He doesn’t want to hurt her and she doesn’t want to hurt him, but there’s also a gravitational pull they can’t get rid of. And he doesn’t exactly want to either. When he’s with her, he feels better, he feels good. And it’s not like it was before, but it’s a new way to be with her. 

“Stop that.” She shakes her head and then sits up, moving so she can straddle him, placing the joint in the ashtray before taking his face in her hands. “I want this. Whatever the fuck we’re doing. You said so yourself, there’s no handbook.” She caresses his cheek softly and he looks up at her with a soft smile. Her eyes are red, she’s high and she’s just as gorgeous, if not more, than she’s always been and he loves her, perhaps in different ways now. Perhaps he sees more now than he did before, maybe he sees that they’re both imperfect and that they can fuck up. But still, that no one understands him better than Betty Cooper. 

“You look beautiful.” He murmurs and she laughs softly. “I mean it.” 

“You look beautiful too, Juggie.” She smirks and he rolls his eyes, pulling her down to him, so he can kiss her lips. “Did you lock the door?” His answer comes in the form of pulling her sweater off. 

•

** 3 Years After  **

Jughead is in New Haven for her. As in, flew to New York for her because she was having a bad week. It’d been a stressful week and she couldn’t explain why. College was definitely a factor but it was also the anniversary of her father’s death and she’d been barely sleeping. On the phone, Jughead had tried to soothe her somehow, talking her through nightmare and anxious nights but it was of little use. 

She had not been expecting him to show up at her dorm room in the morning after a particularly bad night. She’d called him, he answered just like she answered his 3 AM calls every time. And they’d talked and although she had calmed down enough to fall asleep, she knew she’d have to hold on for a little longer to get through this one rough patch. 

“You’re...here.” Her eyes widen as she stares at him, bewildered. “Why...are you here?” 

With sheepish smile, he holds up a box of pizza. “I’m pretty sure this was the place you mentioned when we talked?” 

“Jug...” She breathes out. 

“Hi.” He smiles softly. “You were having a bad day.” He shrugs as if that explains it all and she steps aside so he can walk into her room. He sets the pizza on her desk as she watches him, still surprised and confused about why this was happening. 

“You’re in New Haven.” Her mouth opens and closes. Shutting the door, she stares as he takes his jacket off, placing it on a chair before sitting on the bed, taking the pizza with him. 

“It’s amazing what flying machines do these days.” He says, with a smirk on his face. “Betts, will you sit down?” Huffing out a laugh, Jughead pats the bed. 

“Fine.” She sits down in front of him, as he opens the pizza box. “Now please explain why you just flew to New Haven when I know for a fact you have classes tomorrow?” 

“I was worried about you.” He tells her. “Last night on the phone and basically this whole week, I’ve been worried about you because you’re not doing well and I can see it. Have you eaten anything today?” 

She looks down at her hands. “I’ve been studying-“

“Well, then take a slice, Betts.” He grins and she shakes her head, taking a slice. “I know what date is today, so I’m here.” It’s the last bit of information that has her heart tipping over the edge and she tries to fight back the tears. “Betts...” He frowns. Taking the box out of the way, just as she puts down her slice, he reaches for her, pulling her closer to him so he can hold her. That’s when she no longer holds it in and just breaks down in his arms. 

“I don’t even know why this is affecting me so bad, last year was easier but I just, with finals and someone figured it out who I was here. And it wasn’t even a big deal, people were cool about it, even comforting but I just-“ 

“It’s okay.” He murmurs, caressing her hair. “It’s okay.” 

“I don’t know why even dead, he can still do this to me, Juggie.” Betty whispers, brokenly. “And then there’s you.” 

Freezing, she regrets the words the minute they escape from her. God, she did not mean to say that. He did not need to know this part of them. The desperation she feels sometimes, for him, for them, for some sort of intimacy that didn’t involve the fucking holidays. 

“Me?” 

“Jug...” 

“Do I make you feel worse?” He struggles to questions and she can feel his heartbeat quicken. 

Shaking her head, she looks up at him. “No no, god, no. You make everything better. It’s just that there’s two sides of it. Cause I fucked this up. Us.” She exhales. “It’s hard for me to live with how amazing this is, having you even like this and how guilty I feel, that I hurt you and that you forgave me even when I didn’t deserve it.” 

Betty watches his face, as his eyes tear up and he places a hand on her cheek. “I love you. I forgave you because that’s stronger than your lapse of judgement. Fuck, I was angry, I was so fucking angry. But I’m also, not the same person I was when I was sixteen. Balancing it out, losing you completely over a mistake you made, a mistake you regret so deeply doesn’t seem like a good choice.” He tells her. “What you did was fucking awful and it broke my heart and that’s why we need some time before either of us can fully jump into this, the way we deserve. I need time to heal. But I also don’t know how to let you go until then.” 

“But Jug, this pain I caused...it’s fucking terrifying.” 

“I know.” He nods. “But we gotta go through it.” 

She wants to tell him that she needs something tangible. Either they’re together or they’re not and this in between thing is slowly tearing her apart but she can’t say no to him. It’s unbearable to watch him in the cold and not let herself burn just to make him warmer. Not when she’s the reason for his pain. But she also doesn’t know how long it’ll take before she burns herself out completely and there’s nothing left to give. 

So, Betty kisses him and they make love and eat cold pizza afterwards. 

That year, Betty doesn’t go home for the holidays. 

•

** Four Years After  **

They haven’t talked in four months. They had a conversation Betty doesn’t want to relive. She reckons it’d been a long time coming. Jughead thinks they were both absolutely ridiculous about everything. 

It’d started out like any other time. They were in her dorm room, they had sex, he’d missed every inch of her and she’d laughed at his declarations, all sincere, all perfect and heartfelt. 

I love you. I missed you. You’re breathtaking. Fuck, there’s no one else like you. 

And then he’d told her. 

“I went on a date.” 

The room went quiet, for a moment, she thinks her heart had physically shattered in her chest and she pushed herself off his chest chest, sat up on the bed, shaking her head. “Please don’ttell me about it.” 

“It was a double date, Pat insisted on it. You remember Pat, right? You met him when you came to Iowa?” 

“Jug, please. Seriously, I don’t need to know what you do when I’m gone, okay?” 

“When you’re gone? Betty...it was my first date ever since you.” 

“I know we’re not together together but please just...”

“I hated it. It was fucking awful.” 

She closes her eyes and places her face in her hands. “I think we need to stop this.” 

A pin could’ve dropped and you would’ve heart it then. His breathing became a little heavier and he’d looked at her. “What?” 

“I don’t know how long I can keep this up, Jughead. Either we move on or we do this for real because I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing anymore.” She confesses, the whole thing just falls from her lips and she can’t even look at him. “I love you so much and I love every moment I spend with you. But the moments I don’t, they’re excruciating. Because I don’t know where this is going. You say it’s until you’re ready to jump into it but it’s been four years. And I need some kind of answer.” 

He hadn’t given her an answer, he’d stared at her silently as she cried, naked on her bed, a parallel to when they decided to break up. 

She doesn’t remember how long it passed, but she told him to leave and she’d sat there alone, crying herself to sleep. 

He’d been a fucking a coward, because he couldn’t give her an answer. And for a moment, as heartbroken as she felt, she was also really fucking pissed off. Because she’d been giving everything of herself over to him and he’d given her half of it. After everything. It’d been four years since they’d broken up and she feels stuck in the same place. Four years of sleeping with each other on and off, still talking but never deciding on anything. 

Veronica was right. The one good thing in her life nowadays. Having her best friend back in her life brought her a comfort she’d missed. Her raven haired friend had sought her out, found her in New Haven, demanded a fancy dinner. They’d dressed up and Veronica all but waltzed back into her life, with no weight from the past, just ready to go full in.

“What is the plan, exactly, B?” Veronica raises an eyebrow. “You keep at this forever, never understanding that at some point you have to choose. Either you do this for real or you let it go, once and for all.” 

“Why does there have to be a choice, V?” Betty questions her best friend. Deep down, she knows exactly what it means, because her heart keeps breaking. 

“Because what you’re doing right now is half assed, that’s why. If you seriously can’t live without each other, then just go for it, don’t live your life like this. It’s preventing you from moving on, always wondering wether or not he wants you at the moment.” Veronica sighs softly, reaching for Betty’s hand. “He loves you, yes. But you need to put yourself first sometimes. You can’t keep beating yourself up over a mistake that happened years ago. You’re breaking yourself into pieces and he can’t give you what you want. As much as you want to wait for him, you need more. You deserve more.” 

So, they haven’t talked for four months. Until he sends her a copy of his book. His published book. That tells their story. And that’s when she’s fuming. Along with the book, there’s a letter asking her to meet him in Riverdale when she comes home for thanksgiving. She goes out of anger. 

Marching into Pop’s, she doesn’t even realize it’s completely empty, doesn’t even see the way it’s decorated. The fairy lights, the rose petals. She does, however, have tunnel vision to Jughead Jones, near their booth. 

“You fucking idiot.” Betty shakes her head, the book is in her hands. “You think you could just write a book about everything that’s ever happened to us, every trauma, change the names and it’d be fine? You could’ve asked to publish this? Tell me why on god’s name did I decide to stay up all night reading this?!” 

He looks taken aback and honestly, she would’ve laughed at the look on his face if it wasn’t for the anger she’s feeling. 

“And I mean, you can’t give me an answer when I ask you if you want to be with me but you write an epilogue with us living happily ever after? What kind of-“ It’s then that she notices that he’s in a suit and that there’s an open velvet box, where inside there’s a ring, an engagement ring. He looks pretty and she’s sure this isn’t happening. “You can’t seriously be proposing to me right now.” Her heart is beating out of her chest and she’s pretty sure she’s close to having a panic attack. 

His brows furrow. “I...well-“

“Oh god.” She sits down at their booth and Jughead scrambles to set the ring down on the table, before closing in on her. Her breathing is irregular. “Jug, why are you doing this to me?” 

“I’m all in.” He tells her. “That’s what I want to tell you. That’s what the book and the letter mean. And the book isn’t going to print, i had two options for them and it’s not that one. They said it’s too unrealistic-“ 

Hilarious.

“But I wanted to give it to you because the books tells you exactly how I feel and what I want. I want a happy ending for us, Betts, we deserve it.” 

“You were proposing.” Betty breathes out. “Are you insane?” 

“I’m in love with you. And I have been for most of my life and I’ve been an idiot, an absolute idiot for everything. I’ve been too caught up in my own head and I fucked up but I’m asking for your forgiveness. And I’m asking you to be my wife.” 

“You are insane.” Betty’s eyes widen. “Jughead, I don’t need marriage to know we’re together, I just need an answer. I needed an answer. I’ve been fucking miserable and you haven’t called or texted. You can’t just propose to me like this.” She argues, looking at the ring on the table, she gasps. “Oh god, how much money did you spend on the ring?” 

His sharp intake of breath is enough to know. “I feel like I’m fucking up in a way that’s not really like me and maybe I am insane, you do that to me...but was that a round no?” 

In a beat, she bursts out laughing. So hard, tears start streaming down her and he joins her, until they’re both out of breath from laughing, stomachs hurting and his head is buried in her leg. 

“Jug.” She runs a hand through his hair, their laughter dying down and he looks up at her and she loves him so much, she thinks her heart might give out, but this man is hers in every single way. “This is insane.” She shakes her head. “But maybe you can keep that in a drawer and take it out when we are ready to get married?” She wonders how out of their minds they both seem, laughing hysterically, crying together. He kisses her lips and she’s not ashamed to admit that she feels relieved to have him again. Maybe it’s time they learnt to be together again. And that certainly does not mean marriage. But still, she’s spent too long agonising over what might actually happen to them and Jughead might be going in the completely wrong direction in terms of how to establish what he wants, but she knows she wants him. And if he wants her then she supposes she’s allowed to let go of anger and be happy that this stupid man might actually want her for the rest of his life. 

They’re allowed happiness. 

•

** 5 Years After  **

They find Archie at Pop’s during the summer. Jughead admits it had him quite pleased at the dumbstruck look on his face when he saw them walking in hand in hand. He’s surprised that they haven’t seen him for all this time, really. Veronica doesn’t mention him at all and none of them really ask anyone about their once best friend either. Jughead can’t say he’s wondered. He vaguely understands Archie is in the army but apart from that, there’s nothing he particularly cares about. Especially after everything was out in the open, he’d been a bit of what Jughead could call an asshole, he’d expected everything to go back to normal, that forgiveness to be extended easily as if Archie hadn’t been eager to pursue it with Betty with no regard for his girlfriend. 

The truth of matter, really, is that Jughead hadn’t felt Archie’s friend well before any of the Betty thing had happened. He doesn’t know exactly when their lives diverged in such a way that he felt as though Archie could never understand him enough. But it did. And it was a bit sad at the time, how it hadn’t actually felt like he was missing something. He missed simpler times, sure, when video games were enough to have in common to form a strong friendship plus a love for Pop’s, but as time went on, Jughead thinks they couldn’t be there for each other, understand each other the same way. 

But it’s the summer and when they walk into Pop’s, Betty laughing at his lame joke, Archie is there, in the booth next to the one that’s always been theirs. 

“Should we go up to him?” Betty whispers, as they’re walking up to their booth. 

“You’re asking me?” Jughead snorts out a laugh. “Do we sit in our booth or...nope ok, he’s standing up.” They meet Archie halfway. “Archie, hi!” 

There’s a conflicted look on his face and he looks like the sad puppy, that golden retriever like way of him still ever present, even now, as what he thinks is now proper adults. Well, getting there, he supposes. But Archie, there he is, looking like he’s been kicked off the football team for playing too much guitar. Betty’s got this tense look on her face, along with a slightly amused expression hiding behind it. 

It’s been enough time for them to not resent him too much. If it weren’t for Veronica, he thinks it’d probably be a non starter, just a faraway memory. Surprisingly or perhaps not at all, him and Betty have been a united front against Archie’s actions. As much as Jughead hates to admit it, he’d felt a little protective of Veronica ever since the whole showdown. In the end, Betty had chosen him, she’d realized her mistakes. It was a different for Veronica, realizing that there really was no future, at least for a while. Enough years had passed through them to know they couldn’t hold a grudge on something that happened years ago. People move on, they were teenagers back then, traumatized teenagers at that. They’d all grown up in different ways. 

“Hi.” Archie clears his throat. “It’s been a while, huh?” 

“Five years, yes.” Betty nods her head.

“How’ve you been?” Jughead offers, a hand on Betty’s lower back. It’s awkward, he admits, mostly because he’s really hungry so this couldn’t have come at a worse time and Archie doesn’t seem to know what to say. 

“Good, yeah.” He nods his head. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry. About everything. Back then, I was really…stupid and blind and immature, I think.” 

Jughead glances at Betty for a second before looking back at Archie. “It’s fine, Archie. It’s been a long time, we were kids.”

“Still…everything I did and said was pretty dumb and oblivious so, I just, I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay, Archie. We’ve all moved on. It’s all good.” 

Archie nods his head. “You guys together?” He offers them a soft smile. 

“We broke up after senior year but...” Betty explains. 

“Didn’t last long.” Jughead chuckles, looking at his girlfriend, who rolls her eyes at him, knowing the story is much more complicated than that. But he guesses it’s mostly, right. It’s not as though they weren’t together, they hadn’t exactly been upfront about their relationship, but they kept loving and caring for each other, without a doubt. 

“You guys were always right for each other, I’m happy for you. After all the shit we’ve been through, I guess we could all just use some peace..” Jughead tries to mask his surprise. Archie almost sounds somewhat like an adult, mature? He’s being bitter and he’s better than that, Archie looks genuinely sorry and sincere. And he respects that, truly. He just doesn’t really know what else to say to him. There’s a strange distance, like they don’t really know each other anymore and he supposes that after such a long time, it’s normal. 

“Thank you, Archie.” Betty answers and Jughead places a kiss to her head. “Well, we’ll have lunch now. It was good to see you.” Jughead would laugh at Betty subtly hurrying it up but she’d murder him. He knows her too well. 

Archie nods. “Yeah, it was great seeing you guys. I’ll leave you to it, I’m actually about to leave for Georgia, I’m gonna be stationed there and I have to pack up so...”

“Right. See you around, Archie.” Jughead nods his head. Archie give them one last smile before stepping away from them. They sit down as the bell on Pop’s door rings and Archie is crossing the parking lot to his car. “He has a beard.” 

Betty laughs, shaking her head. “He seems ok, doesn’t he?” 

“Yeah, that was bit surreal, wasn’t it? It’s been so long, it’s kind of like he was a memory and then he was right here. But I don’t really know what else to say to him. I think our friendship had been deteriorating for a while, even before.” 

With a shrug, Betty smiles, reaching for his hand. “We’ve all moved on, right? I mean, if opportunity ever arises or we feel like it, we can try to catch up and reconnect, I guess. But it’s different with him, he’s like a different person. V and you and I, we stayed in touch, we grew up together. Archie is…more good childhood memories than anything else.”

“That’s a bit cruel, isn’t it? Reduce him to that?” 

“I don’t mean it that way, just that maybe now isn’t the right time to invest in mending or building up our friendship with him. Maybe someday it will be.” 

“I’m not mad at him, you know? He was an asshole to Veronica but in that oblivious, puppy like way Archie’s always been. Clueless. Never thinking twice.” 

“I know.” Betty nods. “But it’s not about being mad at him, I think it’s just...He was our friend and now he’s not. Obviously there’s all this baggage that ties us together but it’s been five years, we’ve all grown up, I guess. Archie went on his way, we went on ours.” 

Jughead pauses for a moment, looking at her with a soft smile. He loves her, in way that is so weightless and not like it’d been in the years after their break up. He feels as though they’ve healed. That part of the pain was over and they could finally rest. Archie was right. They could all use some peace. And seeing Betty, very assuredly try to make sense of what their lives had been, in a much calmer way than ever before, warms his heart. 

She pauses what she’s about to say next when she notices the looks on her face. “You’re not about to propose to me again, are you?” Because the answer is still no.” She jokes. She’ll never let him live his ill advised proposal down. 

“No proposal yet, I promise. Emphasis on yet because I will marry you.” He grins and she laughs softly. “But I did want to talk about something.” 

“Uh-oh.” She smirks. 

“Shut up.” He shakes his head. “New York isn’t cheap, right?” 

“It’s not.” She raises an eyebrow. 

“I got a raise but it’s stupidly lonely in my apartment when a pretty girl isn’t there.”

“Fuck that girl for not being there.” She shakes her head, faux frowning. 

“Yeah, I know, right? So, that’s why I was thinking maybe she could move in permanently.” Betty stares at him as he continues with a small smile. “She insisted we needed some time to be in a relationship without the added pressure of living together, especially when we both moved to the city but the thing is, I kind of hate sleeping without her. And I’d like to wake up every morning next to her, even when she wakes up stupidly early to go for a run. Do you think she’d like that? I mean I was ready to be engaged to her last year, so I was hoping maybe this would be a nice step to take.” 

He watches her face break into a soft smile, her green eyes so vibrant in the sunlight coming through Pop’s window, older than who they used to be in this very booth, but still as, if not more breathtaking. 

“Jug...” She breathes. “I think she’d love that. She really would.” 

•

** Six Years After  **

When Betty wakes up, she feels her head throbbing and Jughead’s body against hers. She’s obviously naked and so is he, but she’s glad that at the very least, their drunken minds had decided to take a shower after what she’s sure was a very satisfying ending to Veronica’s bachelorette party. As it is, Vegas really is one strange city and with amount of drinks they’d both had, it’s no surprise Betty doesn’t remember much other than leaving a nightclub with her boyfriend kissing her neck. 

She hears Jughead groan as she tries to untangle herself from him to check the time. Their flight leaves after dinner so she supposes they do have time to laze around and do nothing until then. She’s guessing Veronica isn’t exactly up for anything today either. From her vague memories, her best friend is probably as hungover if not more than she feels right now. 

“Betts?” Jughead breathes out, pulling her to him. “What time is it?” 

“Noon.” She settles back into him. 

“Fuck...my head is killing me.” He huffs. 

“Blame V.” 

He laughs softly. “I do. And you, saying we couldn’t waste expensive free alcohol. I haven’t been this hungover since...well ever. There’s a reason I don’t drink.” 

Betty smiles, pressing a kiss to his bare chest. “I feel like shit too.” 

“As, babe, so glad that we’re in this together.” He places his hand on top of hers on his chest, grinning and her brows furrow, still in a hazy state, maybe she’s imagining the golden band on his finger and she’s not sure why the hell he’d wear a ring anyhow. 

“Why is there a ring on your finger?” She questions out loud, her heart quickening in her chest. 

“What ring?” He chuckles and she grabs his hand, running a finger over the golden band. 

“Why do you have a ring on that finger?” She exhales and sits up on the bed, to take a look at her left hand. Sure enough, there, on her ring finger, is a golden band to match his. “Shit.” 

Jughead is still groggy as he sits up, rubbing his eyes as Betty’s mouth opens with a gasp. She’s staring at her hand, eyes wide and wraps an arm around her. “What’s up?” 

“Jug...” She murmurs. “Please hold up your left hand.” 

Still confused and sleepy, wanting to get back to cuddling his girlfriend, he lifts his hand up and Betty thinks her heart might just give out. “Holy shit.” She hears Jughead beside her. “Did we-“

“Jug, please tell me we didn’t do what I think we did.” 

“I think we did.” 

“Are Vegas weddings even valid?” 

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to figure that one out.” Jughead rubs his face, sighing. “Call Veronica, maybe she knows something. If not, then we’ll have some good old fashioned investigation.” He smiles softly. “Hey, don’t freak out yet.” Jughead kisses her shoulder and she can’t quite keep up with this request. She knew they were crazy enough to actually have a Vegas wedding but she’s hungover and she has a ring on her finger and she might be married to the love of her life. 

“Jug, this is not how I wanted our wedding to go. I’d like to remember it.” 

“I know, we really aren’t good when it comes to proposals. I hope you popped the question this time.” 

“Jesus...” She lets out a laugh despite herself. 

“Can I suggest we eat something before we do anything?” 

“Of course your first thought is food.” Betty rolls her eyes. 

“You know I can’t do anything on an empty stomach.” He shrugs, kissing her lips before standing up. “And hey, being married to you was always the plan for me. You just said no the first time around.” 

As Jughead orders room service, Betty’s brain tries to formulate a plan in the shower. In actuality, she really just wants to remember how the hell they ended up hungover and married. The problem wasn’t that they were married, it was very clear it’d happen at some point but she’d like it if it were planned and not this drunken Vegas night. It saddened her that they had married impulsively and wasted and she’s positively pissed at her drunk self for agreeing to marrying her everything in Vegas, of all places. 

She’s stepping out of the bathroom, already dressed as Jughead is sitting at the table with their breakfast. As he notices her presence, he smiles. Her travel toward his hand, the golden band on his finger suits him and makes her stomach flutter like she’s sixteen, fingers brushing against his for the first time as they walk. There’s something about it, even in the midst of this situation, that calms her. 

“Hear this out: “Enjoy and happy honeymoon, Mr and Mrs. Jones.” I guess we told the hotel, huh?” Jughead tells her as she sits down. The words made her heart skip a beat. “You okay?” 

“I’m sad. We deserve more than Vegas, Jug.” Betty frowns. “I mean, I wanted this to be special.” 

“Betts, hey...” Jughead takes her hand in his. “We can do it all over again, I promise. And besides, it’s a great story for the grandkids.” 

She snorts, laughing. “Shut up.” 

“But I mean it. This can be left as a piece of paper and we’ll do it the way we want to. For real. And let your mother plan whatever she wants to plan.”

“Oh god, she’ll murder me.”

“She doesn’t have to know.” He winks. “Eat up, Mrs. Jones. Can’t have my wife starving.” 

“Fuck, we’re married.” She breathes out and he smiles softly, getting up to kneel by her chair, placing his hands on her thighs. 

“Betty Cooper, there’s nothing else I’d rather be than your husband. And I know this isn’t what we envisioned for what our wedding would be but I’m more than happy to marry you again.” She leans down so she can press her forehead against his, sighing softly. 

“I would marry you anywhere, anytime, Jughead Jones.” With a soft smile, she kisses his lips. “I’d like to remember it next time.”

“I promise you it’ll be unforgettable.” 

Veronica shows up at their hotel door with a grin on her face despite her first words being “I feel like shit!”. In a matter of seconds after that, with renewed energy, she brings them both in. 

“You’re married! It’s legitimately the only thing I remember clearly from that night!” Veronica squeals. 

“Well, we don’t remember it at all.” Jughead chuckles. 

“Good thing I have the video saved on my phone.” 

Betty’s vision is unfocused but she can see him clearly, only him, in front of her. And they’re getting married. And she had been the one to propose. Spontaneously popped the question as they walked by a Vegas church or whatever it was. But there’s an Elvis impersonator and Veronica eagerly encouraged them on, the rest of her bridal party severely intoxicated proved to be a brilliant cheer squad for one of the biggest decisions of their lives. 

There’s rational part of her that thinks that this is not the way to go to marry the love her life but there’s the other, unfiltered, drunken pet that is dying to be his wife. The part that thinks, after a year of officially living together, she wants him to propose again. Wants him to take the ring out from the drawer and get down on one knee. But if he hadn’t yet, now it was her turn to ask him to marry her right then and there. 

She loves him so much. She wants to be his wife. And she’s drunk but she thinks she’ll still want to be his wife when she’s sober. 

“Jughead Jones, I’ve loved since I was sixteen years old and I will love you until the day I die.” She slurs a few words but he’s smiling so big she can’t even care. “And I may not be very eloquent right now but I promise I’ll be the best version of myself for you, I promise to try everyday for the rest of my life to make you as happy as you make me. And I know we can build our future together in the most beautiful way we can.” 

“Fuck, I’m crying.” Jughead laughs and he places his hands on both of her cheeks, tears streaming down his face. “Betts, I’ve loved since I was seven and you kicked Reggie for taking my book. I can’t think of any other way of living if it’s not with you. You’re my everything, Betts. I’m in this for the long haul. I have been since we were sixteen and I know we had some missteps and we we can both be complete idiots. I mean, Elvis is marrying us.” He glances at their Elvis and the guy grins back at him as Betty laughs. “But all I want is to be your husband. And I promise I’ll try my best to deserve you everyday.” 

She hears his words, as he places kisses to her cheek. She’s crying and he’s crying and the alcohol really is making their emotions run on high. 

The video cuts off when they kiss as Veronica runs towards them. She guesses they had celebrated even harder after the fact. 

“Honestly, I’m not even mad you decided to do it at my bachelorette party.” She laughs. “How are you guys feeling? You tried every cocktail at the first bar we went to and then some. It was incredibly surprising that you were both so eloquent when you exchanged vows.” 

“I’m hungover and sad because I don’t remember my own wedding.” 

“Oh, shit, I almost forgot.” She pulls out a piece of paper from her purse. “It’s your marriage certificate. You asked me to save it for you when you got that joint lap dance.” 

“We got a what now?” Jughead’s eyes widen. 

“And I don’t remember it. Alcohol is so cruel.” Betty groans, throwing herself back on the couch. “I want a real wedding.” 

“It was your idea. You proposed to him in front of a whole club. Went up to the DJ booth and grabbed the mic. Your husband was very eager to say yes.” Veronica tells them. “Either way, B, you can still have your real wedding, I’m sure. I’ll help.” 

“We can. And we will.” Jughead smiles. “But I am happy that you’re my wife, even if our minister was Elvis.” 

Betty squeezes his hand. “I love you.” 

“You two are still as nauseating as you were when you were sixteen.” Veronica smirks. “But I’ll take that as my cue to leave. Happy honeymoon, children. Go make me a godchild.” 

•

** Seven Years After  **

They find themselves getting married in front of their family and friends in the summertime, in Riverdale. It’s a joyous day and although they’ve been married for close to a year, post their Vegas wedding, it feels every bit as special as it should’ve always been. And she’s loved every moment of being his wife. They’re so happy, it’s hard to believe there was a time she thought she would end up without him. That she’d screwed up so bad, she had lost him forever. 

It’s a small wedding, by Veronica Lodge’s standards (she’d kept the name). Her own had been lavish and enormous. Both her and her husband happened to have large extended families plus their friends and their plus ones. And it’d been beautiful and charming and sweet and Betty had cried because Veronica deserved all the happiness in the world. Jughead had weeped too, though he’d never admit it, his love and pride for Veronica Lodge may have grown a lot over the years. 

Their wedding, the real one, is one of the best days of her life. It’s simple, elegant and filled with a carefree energy she’s come to appreciate as one of the finest pleasures of life. Her husband sitting beside her, an arm wrapped around her, as their friends launch into speeches about how disgustingly in love they are and how they’re deserving of peace and happiness. FP’s speech makes her cry the most. 

“I know this may sound a little weird, but you know you’re both my kids.” He grins. “And I love you.” With a pause, he looks down at Alice’s hand in his before turning to them again. “You know, all this time, there’s been so much pain for everyone here. So many things we lost.” He pauses. “Yet you two never lost strength, trying to stop that pain, stop all this tragedy. And I’m not great with words, that gene was not passed down to me.” He chuckles. “But I’m proud of you. The people you’ve become, after all the curve balls life threw at you. The way you’ve never wavered in trying to do the right thing, even when you made mistakes is extraordinary.” He smiles softly, shaking his head. “You’ve been reckless and stupid and I’ve been exasperated by your propensity for danger. But throughout all of it, I always knew one thing for certain. And that is that, one way or the other, it’d be impossible to have you end up apart from each other. I always knew we’d end up right here, at your wedding. And you’re all thinking, maybe you should have a better speech if you knew all along but I didn’t want to jinx it.” He winks at Alice who’d been bugging him about a speech for a while. “Jughead, boy, I love you and I’m proud to be your father, proud of the man you’ve become, lord knows I was sacred I’d screwed you up. And hey,I’m really glad you got your head out of ass and put a ring on it.” 

Jughead laughs loudly, as Betty stares up at him. Sometimes it’s hard to believe they got here, together and happy and safe. And she’ll never take that at face value. 

“And Betty...I’ve had the privilege to watch you grow into a beautiful woman. I’m sorry life gave you such a hard time, that you’ve had to endure so much pain. All I wish for, for both of you, is a lifetime of happiness and peace. God knows you deserve it. To Betty and Jughead!” 

It’s a privilege to have this moment. To be so wholeheartedly content, drinking a glass of champagne, against her husband as he smiles. His smile is so much more peaceful than it ever was. They’ve done something right with their lives, she thinks. 

“What are you thinking about?” He asks into her ear, as they watch their friends dance. Happy people, who despite the pain overcame it all and chose to chase after happiness. 

She smiles softly. “You. And how happy I am.” Leaning in, she presses a kiss to his lips. “We got a trial run, huh?” 

“I think I’m absolutely subscribing to your services, Mrs. Jones.” He grins. “Lifetime membership.” She laughs softly, staring up at the man she’s loved since she was sixteen years old. 

“Dance with me?” 

“As best as I can.” He smiles, standing up and offering her his hand. 

On the dance floor, the song switches to a slow one and Jughead smiles a smile that reminds her of prom. And even though, she’d lived through that night with a resolution that she’d chosen him, that she never loved Archie and that the kiss was a mistake, it had felt good to be loved by him, being in his arms during slow songs and dancing with him in fast paced ones. That night, for a few moments, felt like a break from the craziness. It’d been a happy night if you removed the crazy videotapes. But they’d been kids and Betty supposes neither of them really understood what it meant then, the future, their love, even. She thinks of how much she’s grown up and how that girl knew nothing of what it meant to be happy and free of the restraints that once held her. How they’d known very little of what was to come. 

But his smile is wider now and he looks older. And bolder than what he was before. And he’s no longer afraid of happiness, she thinks. Neither of them are. With his arms on her hips, her forehead on his, eyes closed and a smile on both their faces, their 16 year old selves would’ve never guessed their journey. The boy who had climbed up her window and told her they weren’t their parents, the boy who kissed her then, nervously and tentatively, his hands on her cheeks, is now a man who is sure of himself, a man who knows every inch of her with ease and adoration for every scar and every imperfection. Her husband. Even after a year, it still brings her a warm feeling across her body. 

For every worry she had for the future, she knows the future isn’t just a giant mess of abstract timelines and undiscovered land. The future is series of days and what it takes to get through each one, happy or sad or angry. It’s making the decision to love and to choose love, no matter how hard it gets. 

It’s much clearer now. The future, what used to be a giant block of grey mass, it feels like a lesser weight on her shoulders. There’s truly only one thing she needs and that is him, holding her hand as they step up to each stepping stone towards wherever life leads them. 

She smiles when she opens her eyes to find him looking at her. “Hi.” She breathes out a soft laugh. 

“Hi.” He murmurs, smiling as he places a soft kiss to her forehead. 

**Author's Note:**

> This took too long to write and I desperately need validation. I’ll die now. Thank you for reading, please leave a comment so I can re read it when I’m crying alone xx


End file.
